Guitar and sling combination



June 23, 1953 s. R. SOTTILE GUITAR AND SLING COMBINATION Filed Aug. 17.1949 INVENTOR SAMUEL ROBERT SOTTILE ATTORNEY Patented June 23, 1953UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE P 2,643,039 I GUITAR AND SLING COMBINATIONSamuel Robert Sottile, Patton, Pa.

Application August 17, 1949, Serial No. 110,786

5 Claims. (01. 224 5) This invention relates to means for-carryingguitars while playing and more particular to a sling which may bereadily attached or detached to a guitar.

It is an object of my invention to provide a sling for a guitar whichwill attach in such a manner as not to distort the tones thereof.

It is another object of my invention to provide a sling for a guitarwhich will be completely safe and accident proof. It is a further objectof my invention to provide a guitar sling having features of optionaluse in that it comprises components for being secured to one end or theother of the neck of a guitar.

In general my invention comprises a shoulder strap having a hole or slitat one end for engaging the stud at the end of a conventional guitar,wherein the strap is provided with a buckle or fitting at its other endfor detachably securing either of two addiitonal straps having means ofattachment to the neck of the guitar. A unique feature of thecombination is the fact that it is virtually impossible to disassemblethe sling from the neck of the guitar without detaching the additionalstrap from the shoulder strap thus assuring against loss of the sling.

A detailed description of my invention now follows with reference to theappended drawings in which: Figures 1, b and show the shoulder strap andthe additional straps, respectively; Figure 2 illustrates the mode ofuse of one combination afforded by one of the additional straps; Figure3 shows the manner in which the additional strap is secured intermediatethe lower neck and the guitar body; Figure 4 shows a mode of putting aknot in the end of the strap; Figure 5 is a view of the knot thusformed; Figure 6 illlustrates another form a protuberance at the end ofthe strap; Figure "I shows an alternative mode of use of the strap shownin Figure 1b; Figure 8 shows an optional form of the sling; and Figure 9is a view of the front of the upper neck of Figure 8.

With reference to Figures lw-c my invention comprises a shoulder strapHi passing through slits 12 in a slidable padding strap l3 andterminating in a buckle or fitting l5 of conventional form at one end,and in a plurality of holes 20 having respective slits to permitexpansion, at the other end. An additional strap 24 usable with strap 53is detachably securable at end 21 by means of fitting E9. The other endof strap 24 carries a deformable protuberance 30 in the form of a knotmade of the 2 material of the strap by passing end 2! through a slit 33,as shown in Figure 4, and pulling end 2.! through the slit the fulllength of the strap to effect the knot formation shown in Fig: ure 5.

In use, strap 24 is separated from strap 10, end 21 being passed betweenthe lower neck 35 of guitar to and the guitar body until knot .39 iswedged between the lower neck and the body of the guitar as shown inFigure 2 and de tailed in Figure 3. Attachment to fitting i6 is thenmade. ihe other end of strap I9 is then secured to the usual stud 45 atthe end of the guitarIFigure 8).

I have found that this yields a secure attachment for conventionalguitars having the general construction illustrated, it being noted thatmember 43 (Figure 3) is a structural element. of conventional guitarswhich prevents substantial, transverse sliding of strap 24.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that linear adjustment ofstrap It maybe had either at buckle I6 or holes 28, while padding strap53 is slidable to a desired position on the players shoulder todistribute the stress thereon.

Referring now to Figure 6, another form of deformable protuberance isdisclosed comprising a loop 59 formed at the end of strap 24 bystitching 53 through a folded over portion, and securing a wedge shapedelement 55 of suitable resilient material within the loop.

Alternatively, although a deformable protuberances could be utilized forcatching against lieved limited thereto and other types of protuberancescould be utilized for catching against lower neck 36.

In Figure '7 is shown a variation in which strap 24 is passed in theopposite direction under lower neck 35 and brought around below the neckbefore passing upwardly to the juncture with strap Hi. This variation ispreferred by some guitar players and is shown herein for completeness ofdisclosure.

Instead of the additional strap of Figure 1b, the strap 58 shown inFigure 10 may be utilized in conjunction with strap I0. Strap 58 carriesa loop fitting 62 at one end through which the upper end may be passedto form a loop 61. In use, loop 61 is formed about the upper neck iii,passing below the strings and intermediate the tuning pegs, as shown inFigure 9, the end 65 being first slid below the strings before enteringfitting t2 and the loop 6'! thus formed about the upper neck withfitting 62 at the rear so that strap 58 extends at the rear of the neckas shown in Figure 8 and being then attached at buckle Hi to strap 10.This is an optional form of the invention, although not preferred to theform utilizing strap 24 for the reason that I believe attachment at theupper neck has a detuning effect on the guitar tone, although the modeof attachment as well as the muting effect may be desired by someplayers.

From the above description itwill be apparent that I have desclosed adevice of considerable versatility and affording a high degree ofsafety, and I believe my invention may be modified without departingfrom the spirit thereof. For example, the buckle It could be eliminated,in which case the sling would consist of strap suitably elongated andformed at one end with either a protuberance or a loop fitting,substantially as described, it which case it would be necessary toremove the padding strap 13 while securing strap at the neck of theguitar, as will be understood from consideration of the drawing. Strapl3 may then be replaced on strap [0 and the outer end of strap Illsecured to stud 46 as hereinbefore described.

Accordingly I do not seek to limit myself to the precise disclosureexcept as set forth in the appended claims.

1 I claim:

1. A sling for a guitar comprising a shoulder strap adapted to bedisposed across the shoulder of a player, and having at one end meansfor attachment to the body of a guitar, and a compressible wedgelikesecuring means carried at the other end of said strap for wedgingbetween the lower neck and the guitar body. 2. A sling for a guitar asset forth in claim 1, including an additional strap, wherein saidsecuring means is at one end of said additional strap, and means fordetachably securing the other end of said additional strap to saidshoulder strap, said means being carried by said shoulder strap.

3. A sling for a guitar comprising the combination of a shoulder straphaving means at one end for attachment to the end of a guitar andcarrying a strap attachment fitting at its other end,- including anadditional strap having a deformable protuberance at one end thereof andsecurable at its other end to said fitting, wherein said protuberancecomprises a slit in said strap through which the body of said strap hasbeen drawn.

4, The combination of a guitar and a sling, said sling comprising ashoulder strap having an end secured to the end of said guitar andhaving another end carrying a fitting, an additional strap having an endsecured by said fitting and having another end comprising a securingmeans disposed intermediate the lower neck of said guitar and the bodyof said guitar.

5. The combination of a guitar having an opening intermediate the bodyand lower neck thereof, and a sling therefore, said sling having-an endcomprising means for securement to the end of said guitar and a securingelement at the opposite end of said sling disposed in said opening andsecured therein to said guitar to support the forward portion thereof.

SAMUEL ROBERT SOTTILE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 314,856 La Point et a1. Mar. 31, 1885 1,215,251 Clauser Feb.6, 1917 1,546,067 Goldschmidt July 14, 1925 1,571,823 Weaver Feb. 2,1926 1,639,383 Moretti et a1. Aug, 16, 1927 1,981,076 Sells Nov. 20,1934 1,994,171 Denison Mar. 12, 1935 2,431,780 Theal Dec. 2, 19472,494,632 Rodin Jan. 17, 1950 2,510,799 Carley June 6, 1950

